'90s TordelBack, that curly-locked rake and infamous aesthete-about-town*, would probably have thrown up on you had it been suggested that Coleby was any kind of competition for Davis, but that was then.
While DR & Quinch and contemporary Time Twisty strips are absolute masterpieces, and genuinely my favourite 2000AD humour strips ever, there's nary a Nazi baby in sight. (Although there are probably a few in Excalibur, but I'm not allowed take that in the consideration).
Coleby has not only transformed beyond recognition, he's also racked up a massive contribution over the years, and in the midst of his dense, smoky, ugly, moody violence, he's created or developed reams of memorable, distinctive characters, from 'Malone' to Frank to 'Mortal' Coil to Atalia. His always-strong inks are aided and abetted by a successful partnership with Len O'Grady, and taken together that gives Coleby a surprising (to me) edge of:
Coleby 3 : 2 Davis.
*Actual contents may differ from description.
